Whenever someone asks me to mention one of the most accessible, universal themes in tango lyrics, the first thing that comes to mind is love. However, I also tend to add that the lyrics are much more focused on either the feelings that we associate with heartbreak or melancholic longing, than love itself.

These strong feelings can be expressed in grotesque, resentful ways, or, in contrast, the message may also be remorseful and full of nostalgia. But sometimes, those little anecdotes about love are ambiguous: the ”woman” might represent the country of origin of an immigrant, or whatever sentimental longing each of us will feel at a certain point in our lives.

Lilián is, in my opinion, mostly a metaphor and we will all interpret the poem differently. However, I’d say everyone will recognize the profound solitude that is being expressed in the song. In any case, this definitely one of my favourite tangos about loneliness and it would be hard not to feel sad after listening to it.